IN what appears a true confession, the President of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, has declared that the absence of Nigerian referees at international tournaments gives him sleepless nights.
“Most times, when FIFA or CAF release the list of referees for international tournaments without the inclusion of any Nigerian referee, I suffer sleepless nights,” he said. “I keep wondering why Nigeria, with thousands of referees, cannot make the final cut.
“It is embarrassing, and we at the NFF have vowed to change the narrative positively,” Gusau said at the monthly awards ceremony of Nigeria’s second-tier league, the Nigeria National League (NNL), in Abuja, during the week.
He said: “We have put a strategy in place to address this disturbing trend by grooming intelligent and healthy young men and women who are expected to rise to the top. We asked the NRA to assemble about 40 young referees for a pilot project aimed at earning international recognition in the near future.”
Gusau added: “Last season, we began the sanitisation of officiating by substituting stepped-down referees with these young ones. So far, about 12 of them have moved up to the elite league and are performing well.
“Refereeing has gone beyond just running 10 laps—you must be physically fit, healthy, computer-literate, and intelligent to succeed.”
The NFF boss further stated that Nigerian football will develop more effectively with competent referees, adding that he looks forward to a future where Nigerian referees are highly regarded globally.
“With these young men, I believe the future is bright for Nigerian football and the NRA,” he stated.
According to Complesports.com, Gusau stated that the NFF, in collaboration with the NRA, is working assiduously to ensure that the young crop of referees being groomed will soon rank among the best in Africa, just as he assured Nigerians that local football referees would become a dominant force in officiating across the continent soon.
He commended the NNL for aligning with the NFF’s calendar by concluding the league on schedule.
